University of Colorado at Boulder is our current spotlight campus! The University is believed to be home to America's first student-led environmental center (1970), campus recycling program (1971), bus pass program (1991), and wind energy purchase (1990). Learn more

1. Yale Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 17%
Yale University recently announced that it has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 17%, or 43,000 metric tons, since 2005. In 2005, Yale committed to cut its GHG emissions to 10% below the University's 1990 levels by 2020. Yale's strategy to shrink its carbon footprint calls for a mix of conservation measures, the use of renewable energy on campus, and direct participation in carbon offset projects. Yale has achieved its current reduction through projects and policies including the installation of more efficient heating and cooling systems in 90 buildings, new automatic controls for heating, cooling and lighting, the replacement of windows, new and modified power plant equipment, achieving LEED Silver or better certification for all new buildings and major renovations, the use of ground water for cooling, and a 10% yearly reduction in electricity consumption by students in Yale's undergraduate residential colleges.

2. NC State Begins 'Year of Energy' with Solar Array Dedication
North Carolina State University initiated its 'Year of Energy' with the dedication of a new 75.6 kW photovoltaic array that will serve as an educational project for students. The 'Year of Energy' is a program in which the university plans to focus on energy-related issues throughout 2008. The array, which is owned by Carolina Solar Energy, is believed to be the largest privately financed solar photovoltaic array in North Carolina. The power it generates is sold to Progress Energy. The dedication ceremony was followed with NCSU's inaugural Energy Fair, which served to show attendees how NCSU and its partners foresee solutions to energy issues.
See also: NC State's 'Year of Energy'

3. U Penn Launches Car Share Program
The University of Pennsylvania is launching a car sharing program which will include 40 vehicles and a Penn Sustainability Fund for special environmental projects. Officials say that this is the largest university car sharing program in the North America. The program, supported by PhillyCarShare, will be available to the university's faculty, staff, and students, age 18 and above.

4. Washington U in St. Louis Offers Hybrid-Only Car Share Program
Washington University in St. Louis recently introduced WeCar, a car sharing program that will exclusively utilize hybrid vehicles. Under the program, Enterprise Rent-A-Car will make 6 hybrid vehicles available to rent on an hourly basis by faculty, staff, and students over age 18. .

5. Dartmouth Announces New Financial Aid Program
Dartmouth College recently announced a new financial aid initiative that will begin in the fall of 2008. The program includes: free tuition for students who come from families with annual incomes below $75,000, replacing loans with scholarships, need-blind admission for international students, and scholarships of $2,950 to allow financial aid recipients to take advantage of research or internship opportunities in their junior year. The new initiative will cost an additional $10 million per year, which will be paid for through the reallocation of resources and the use of funds generated by an increase in the distribution from endowment.

6. U Penn Eliminates Student Loans
The University of Pennsylvania announced a new initiative that will replace student loans with grants for undergraduates, making it possible for students from a broad range of economic backgrounds to graduate debt-free. The new program will be phased in beginning September 2008, and will include all eligible undergraduates, not just entering freshmen. Students with family incomes under $100,000 will receive loan-free aid packages, while families above that level will receive a 10 percent reduction in need-based loans. By fall 2009, all undergraduate students eligible for financial aid will receive loan-free aid packages, regardless of family income level.

7. Bowdoin Converts Student Loans to Grants
Bowdoin College has announced that, starting in the 2008-09 academic year, it will replace loans with grants for all new and current students receiving financial aid. Bowdoin President Barry Mills assured that the program would not cause the college to abandon its commitment to educate lower-income students. The initiative is part of The Bowdoin Campaign, a five-year effort that seeks to raise $250 million for the college.

8. Colby Replaces Student Loans with Grants
Colby College recently announced that, beginning in the fall of 2008, the school will replace all student loans with grants. The loan elimination program will apply to new and currently enrolled students and will take about $1.5 million per year to implement.

9. Emerson Building Receives LEED Certification
Emerson College's new 14-story residence hall and campus center has received LEED certification. The building promotes density, is located on a redeveloped urban site, uses reduced-flow fixtures, provides maximum daylight to all of the living spaces, and was built with significant amounts of recycled and regionally-manufactured materials.

10. Western Kentucky U Initiates Bike Share Program
Western Kentucky University initiated Big Red's Bikes, a bike sharing program that was started by an on-campus student organization called GreenToppers. The program features bicycles that were refurbished through the donation of old bikes, chains, tires, tubes, and locks.

11. U Western Ontario Switches to Biodegradable Food Packaging
As a result of efforts by the University Students' Council, the University of Western Ontario is transitioning from Styrofoam to 100% biodegradable food containers, plates, and garbage bags. The products, which come at no extra cost to students, are made mostly from sugar cane and corn starch and will biodegrade in 60 to 90 days.

12. Michigan State U to Build On-Campus Recycling Facility
The Michigan State University Board of Trustees authorized building a new recycling facility on campus. The facility will triple the amount of materials currently being recycled by allowing the university to expand recycling collection in all buildings. The recycling facility will cost approximately $13.3 million and will pay for itself in 12 years. The Board also heard 26 recommendations to reduce MSU's ecological footprint presented by the Environmental Stewardship Systems Team, which is made up of faculty, staff, and students. The team recommended that MSU improve the way the campus monitors and tracks material waste, schedule classes more efficiently to reduce heating and energy costs in buildings, develop a "green" certification program for units and departments, and reduce energy use in all campus buildings by 9% through reducing heating, ventilation and cooling system running times.
See also: Environmental Stewardship Systems Team Recommendations

13. SUNY-ESF Hires Director of Renewable Energy Systems
The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry hired Michael Kelleher as the Director of Renewable Energy Systems. In this new position, Kelleher will focus on finding and adopting technologies to help the college save energy and produce energy from sustainable and renewable sources. Kelleher also serves as co-director of the SUNY Center for Sustainable and Renewable Energy and is a member of the ESF Campus Climate Change Committee.

14. Northampton CC to Use 100% Recycled Paper
Northampton Community College will switch to using 100% recycled paper. Although the per-carton cost will increase, the college plans to purchase the recycled paper in bulk to offset the costs. In addition to this effort, NCC has also set all campus printers to print double-sided and capped the amount of pages one computer can print within a given time frame.

15. U Alabama Implements Recycling Program
The University of Alabama is planning to implement a recycling program across campus. The program, which comes after a successful pilot phase, will first be implemented in the residences halls, academic buildings, and administrative buildings. Once the program has enough support, the number of bins will be increased and the athletic buildings will receive bins as well.

New Resources

16. Campus Sustainability Planning Network
The Society for College and University Planning has created a social networking website for people to connect and share knowledge about campus sustainability planning. The site will also serve to manage and promote campus-based Campus Sustainability Day events.

17. New Resource on Academic Programs in Urban Sustainability
AASHE has compiled a list of undergraduate and graduate programs that focus on urban sustainability. The resource also features a list of academic centers and research initiatives related to urban sustainability. The resource is only available to AASHE members.

Opportunities

18. UC Boulder Online Course: Carbon Neutral University Planning
February 4-April 18, 2008
Dave Newport, the Director of the CU Environmental Center, will lead a web-based course on Carbon Neutral University Planning. The course will explore the concepts and methodologies involved in analyzing and planning for campus climate neutrality, and the opportunities and barriers to achieving climate neutrality. Participants will learn how to develop an analytical framework by which to evaluate emissions mitigation options, and draft a proposed strategic plan that would guide implementation of climate neutrality.

19. Chronicle of HE Calls for Guest Writers
The Chronicle of Higher Education is calling for guest writers for their new Buildings and Grounds blog. The Chronicle plans to feature one guest blogger per month, and asks that the blogger post at least one item per week about facilities, campus buildings, landscape, sustainability, energy, or anything relevant. Blogs must be 500 words or less.

20. Call for EPA Environmental Justice Awards Nominations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will recognize academic institutions that undertake environmental justice initiatives to make a positive impact in a community. The goals of the award include, but are not limited to promoting positive behavior on environmental justice issues by all stakeholder groups, documenting EJ models of success for other to emulate, encouraging achievement of environmental results in communities having EJ issues, and encouraging collaborative problem solving by all stakeholder organizations to address significant EJ concerns. Nominees will be evaluated based on innovation, community responsibility, community, equity, and public involvement, partnership and collaboration, environmental justice integration, and demonstrated results in effectiveness or sustainability. Nominations must be postmarked by February 11, 2008.

21. Call for Jane Goodall Youth Leadership Awards Nominations
The Jane Goodall Global Leadership Awards honor organizations and individuals who share Dr. Jane's values, vision and commitment to making a positive difference in the world for all living things. The awards are given in the categories of Youth Leadership, Excellence in Public Policy, Global Leadership, Corporate Social Responsibility and Responsible Activism in Media and Entertainment. The youth award recognizes an individual, age 14 to 24, who exhibit leadership and excellence through his or her work to help preserve our natural world, protect animals or benefit our human community. Nominations should be submitted by an adult who is closely acquainted with the nominee. Deadline is 5pm EST on February 15, 2008.

22. 2008 Citizen Science Paper Competition
SustainUS is holding the 2008 Citizen Science Paper Competition. Participants are asked to submit a paper related to the discussion topics of the upcoming UN Commission on Sustainable Development. This year's discussion topics are: Africa, Agriculture, Desertification, Drought, Land, and Rural Development. The purpose of the competition is to make technical aspects of those topics relevant and understandable to the general public and influence sound public policy. Winners have their work published in the online journal Citizen Science, and are given the opportunity to present at the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development to be held May 5-16, 2008 in New York City. Papers will be accepted in three categories, based upon education and experience, with a winner chosen within each: 1) Middle and high school; 2) Undergraduate, including all two- and four-year institutions; and 3) Graduate, including all masters, professional and doctoral programs. All participants must be residents of the United States (this includes international youth studying at a US academic institution) and between 13-26 years of age. The application deadline has been extended to February 15, 2008.

23. Oxfam America Student Leadership Program
Oxfam America, an international relief and development organization, is currently accepting applications for the CHANGE Initiative, their national student leadership program. CHANGE offers students entering their sophomore or junior year at US based colleges the opportunity to become effective social change agents. CHANGE Leaders are exposed to the international development issues that inform Oxfam's work, and apply their skills and insights to run Oxfam campaigns on their campuses and in their communities. Selected students are required to participate in a week-long training in Boston, July 19-25, 2008, which is organized and paid for by Oxfam. Students must also implement an Oxfam campaign on their campus and communicate regularly with Oxfam staff about the work they are undertaking during the 2008-2009 academic year. Applications are due April 1st, 2008.

24. Service Learning, Humanitarian, and Leadership Award Applications
The online application process for Campus Compact's Howard R. Swearer Student Humanitarian Award, Frank Newman Leadership Award and Thomas Ehrlich Faculty Award for Service Learning is now open. The awards aim to spotlight the work of students and faculty members who are dedicated to the principles of civic engagement. Winners will receive national recognition and a cash reward to support community work.

Jobs & Internships

25. Sustainability Coordination Manager, Rider U
Rider University is seeking a Sustainability Coordination Manager to develop and lead a campus-wide sustainability program. The individual will coordinate academic, facilities, and student sustainability activities and will work with the Energy and Sustainability Steering Committee to efficiently implement projects and future planning within the context of the University's Strategic Plan. The candidate must have a Bachelor's degree, and preference will be given to those with sustainability-related fields of study or other professional/technical credentials related to sustainability. The position is open until filled.

26. Program Dir., Environmental Leadership Prgm, Duke U
The Duke University Environmental Leadership Program is seeking a Program Director to plan, develop, coordinate, implement and evaluate the DEL Program curriculum, including executive education courses, certificate programs, the DEL-Master of Environmental Management, and community outreach. The candidate will assist in research and development of new program initiatives. All applicants must have at least a bachelor's degree; however, a master's degree is preferred. Applications are due February 15, 2008.

27. Web Developer, AASHE
AASHE is currently seeking a Web Developer to support the IT Director in delivering online services requested by AASHE staff, members, and partners. Duties include developing and implementing software components in a web-based environment and carrying out the design and implementation of a multi-site content management system. The candidate will work directly with AASHE's Director of IT. A Bachelor's of Science in Computer Science is required, and familiarity and capability in more than one programming language is preferred. The position is open until filled.

28. Data Manager, AASHE
AASHE seeks an entry-level data manager to support the IT Director in delivering data management solutions requested by AASHE staff, members, and partners. Other duties include developing and implementing database architecture in a web-based environment, performing limited project management on small-scope projects, and developing and implementing web forms and reports requested by AASHE staff, members, and the AASHE Board. The candidate will report to the AASHE Director of IT. A minimum of a Bachelor's of Science in Computer Science, Software Engineering or similar curriculum with a software development emphasis is required, and familiarity and capability in more than one programming language preferred. The candidate will work directly with AASHE's Director of IT. The position is open until filled.

29. Asst./Assoc. Prof., Sustainable Architecture, NC State
The PhD in Design Program and the School of Architecture in the College of Design of North Carolina State University jointly seek a full-time, tenure track faculty member with a research focus on Building Energy. Teaching responsibilities will include lectures and seminars on issues of sustainability in buildings, with a particular emphasis on energy in buildings, and supervision of M. Arch. and Ph.D. students with independent studies focusing on sustainability. Candidates with appropriate qualifications will also have the opportunity to teach architectural design studios related to sustainability in architecture. Research responsibilities will include conducting building energy research and advising PhD students with dissertation research in sustainability in buildings, with a particular emphasis on energy in buildings. Candidates must have a Ph.D., with either a dissertation related to building energy research or an established track record of rigorous research related to building energy. The successful candidate must also have at least an undergraduate degree in architecture. Applications due February 11, 2008.

30. Asst./Assoc. Prof., Environment, Policy and Sustainable Energy, U Waterloo
The University of Waterloo invites applications for a tenure-track position in environment, policy and sustainable energy at the level of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor. Applicants should have research expertise in the business, political, behavioral and/or built-environment aspects of sustainable energy. Applicants should also have an interest in placing their research expertise and activities within a broader interdisciplinary setting that examines the policy, planning and governance of energy systems in an integrated manner. Applicants should have a Ph.D., a demonstrated record of excellence in research in environment, policy and sustainable energy, and the potential to develop a nationally- and internationally-recognized interdisciplinary research program. Applications will begin to be reviewed on March 1, 2008, and will continue to be accepted until the position is filled.

31. Visiting Prof in the Enviro. and Humanities, Princeton U
Princeton University seeks to appoint a distinguished humanist for the 2008-2009 academic year as the Currie C. and Thomas A. Barron Visiting Professor in the Environment and Humanities. Applicants should be accomplished scholars who have exceptional records of publication and teaching and whose interests lie at the intersection of environmental issues and the humanities. Of particular interest are scholars with expertise and interests related to key environmental concerns including conservation, energy efficiency, clean air and water, global warming, species diversity, sustainable development, wilderness preservation, or environmental justice. The visitor will have a shared appointment in the Princeton Environmental Institute and a supporting department at Princeton University. The visiting appointment will be for a term of one academic year. The candidate will be expected to teach one course, advise two to three students on independent projects, and give a public presentation to the University community. Remaining duty time may be devoted to research and writing. Applications due March 31, 2008.

32. Dean, Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources, U Manitoba
The University of Manitoba is seeking a Dean for the Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources. The successful candidate must hold a PhD in a relevant area and have relevant administrative and research experience and exceptional leadership qualities. Candidates must qualify for a tenured academic appointment at the rank of Professor. The appointment is expected to commence July 1, 2008 and is normally for a term of five years. Applications and nominations will be considered commencing February 25, 2008, continuing until the position is filled.

33. Dept. Chair, Urban Planning and Enviro. Policy, Texas Southern U
Texas Southern University is seeking a Chair for the Urban Planning and Environmental Policy Department. Under the general guidance of the Dean of the School of Public Affairs, the Department Chair will be responsible for the administrative and academic functions of the department, which offers Master's and Doctoral degrees in Urban Planning and Environmental Policy. The Department Chair will teach graduate level courses at the Master's and Doctoral levels, lead the faculty in continued curricular development, engage in and promote active research, promote active collaboration in community projects, and lead initiatives to build the academic program and to secure necessary accreditations. An earned doctorate in planning or environmental policy is required. The successful applicant should be eligible for a tenure track appointment at the Associate Professor or Professor level. Certification through the American Institute of Certified Planners preferred.

34. Academic Specialist, Sustainable Ag and Food Systems, Michigan State U
Michigan State University is seeking an Academic Specialist for the Crop and Soil Sciences Department. This Academic Specialist will oversee development and implementation of undergraduate and graduate specializations in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems. The appointment will initially be for a 3-yr term, with an opportunity for subsequent annual renewal. A Master's of Science in a relevant field and experience and/or interest in sustainable agriculture and food systems are required. Applications due February 15, 2008.

Events

35. Breakthrough Generation Conference
April 10 - 13, 2008; Washington D.C.
Breakthrough Generation, the youth initiative of the Breakthrough Institute, is holding its founding conference which host a small group of young activists and thinkers who want to see the youth climate movement reach a new level and have some ideas about how to make things happen. Applications to participate are due by February 4, 2008.

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